I'm trying to find information on my dad's unit. According to his discharge papers he was a Corporal with the 3614th Quartermaster Truck Company. His occupation on his papers is listed as a special vehicle operator and #932. My dad's name was James D. Watkins and his army serial # is 34 832 56. His papers list the following battles and campaigns: Northern France; Ardennes; Rhineland; Central Europe. He received the following decorations: European-African-Middle Eastern Service medal with 4 Bronze stars, Good Conduct medal, WWII Victory medal, Occupational medal.

As with most vets, my dad rarely talked about the war and his experiences. I do know that he was in the Battle of the Bulge. My siblings and I are trying to get as much information as we can on his unit and their experiences. We would like to talk to anyone that might have been in this unit. We have tried to find information online about the 3614th QM Truck Company, but have not had any luck as of yet. My dad and his 3 brothers and a cousin were all in the same battalion and unfortunately all are deceased except for the cousin, but he has dementia and unable to be much help. I would greatly appreciate any help that anyone can give me.

It would appear, that info on your father's unit is hard to find because his unit was not attached to a normal corp/division/regiment but was one of the units that composed the 'Redball Express' which was formed 'adhoc' after a 36 hour planning session that was organized into 'Groups'

Source: SHAEF Order Number 188, 18 Sep 1944

513th Group, 163rd BN, 3614th Co

here is a web site that shows the document listing the assignments:

+++http://www.transchool.eustis.army.mil/MUSEUM/RebBallIntro.htm


In March 1942, the transportation functions were consolidated into the Transportation Division of the newly created Services of Supply. That same year, on July 31, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Transportation Corps. Some units after that date still being called quartermaster truck companies.

After the breakout of Normandy in July 1944, an acute shortage of supplies on both fronts governed all operations. Some 28 divisions were advancing across France and Belgium, each ordinarily requiring 700-750 tons a day. Patton's 3rd Army was soon grinding to a halt from lack of fuel and ordnance.
The key to pursuit was a continuous supply of fuel and ordnance, thus leading to the Red Ball Express.
The Red Ball Express was conceived in a 36-hour brain-storming session. It lasted only 3 months from August to November, 1944, but without it, the campaign in the European Theater could have dragged on for years. The name 'Redball' was a railroad term meaning 'High Priority' and soon became a symbol of the unit with the vehicles displaying a red circle and a 'Redball' appearing on a unofficial transportation patch issued some units. At the peak of its operation, it was running 5,938 vehicles carrying 12,342 tons of supplies to forward depots daily. Historically remembered as using African Americans as drivers,(with white officers) only about 75 percent of all Red Ball Express drivers were African American. The story inspired a movie starring Raymond Chandler.
When it had completed its mission. New express lines with different designations were being formed, some for specific tasks. The White Ball Express, for example, was established in early October 1944, with routes extending from Le Havre and Rouen to the Paris area.
Other routes included the Little Red Ball, which carried priority supplies from Normandy to Paris; the Green Diamond Express, which moved supplies from Normandy to railheads 100 miles inland; the Red Lion Express, which supplied the 21st Army Group in Belgium; the ABC Express Route (Antwerp,Brussels,­Charleroi), which carried supplies from the port of Antwerp to depots 90 miles inland; and the XYZ Route, the last long-haul trucking operation, which carried supplies across Germany in the final weeks of the war.

Here are some info sites:

+++http://www.historynet.com/on-the-road-to-victory-the-red-ball-express-march-97-world-war-ii-feature.htm
+++http://www.skylighters.org/redball/
+++http://www.ozarks102id.org/redball.html
+++http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/transportationcorps/index.html

JPfromTN, thank you for your help. I wish that when my had spoken of his duty during the war that we had written it down. Hopefully the links that you gave me will be of a lot of help as my brother, sister, and I try to track his steps during the war. Thanks again for the information.